New Platinum/Diamond Top Tier Event - What did you think?

[Mrsg324]

This event was on the Friday(I believe) or our cruise last week on VOS. The food was great and the service was amazing. Some people just like to complain & you need to just ignore them. One lady was at the pursers desk complaining to them that she couldn't get her phone off of the ships cell tower & was demanding a call to Sprint so they could tell her how to turn it off since the ship couldn't block the incoming stuff to her phone. I told her to just turn it off as she walked away but she wanted it for the time. Like it is the ships fault she is getting calls on the phone she left on.

We enjoyed the food & free drinks at this event on our cruise & will attend them in the future. I was also suprised to find that platinum members get a pin now as well. Ours was delivered to our stateroom.

[orville99]

They don't. We are just off the Brilliance and weren't invited to this event.

Our invitations were for the feneral welcome back party and champagne breakfast.

 

Maybe they just don't like you:) We just got off Radiance yesterday, and we were invited:) Great party BTW. If we had known ahead of time what was being offered, we would have skipped the MDR and had more room to sample all of the food they served. It was also nice to see the captain recognize his staff (plaques and pix) that had achieved various service milestones in front of guests.

[PSCruiser]

Then a couple years later we ran into two couples who were wearing name tags like the crew members wear. We watched them as they stood in the middle of the promanade as if they were someone special. Since they were wearing name tags, passengers just assumed that they worked for the cruise line. These people were so rude and nasty that I'm sure they gave a lot of passengers a really bad impression of the company. We approached them and asked why they were wearing the badges since they weren't crew. They told us that they were frequent cruisers and that they had been given the tags as a special recognition. They really got full of themselves when they announced that they had 16 and 18 cruises. We just acted impressed and walked away. Later at the welcome back party we watched their expressions as we were recognized as having over 50 cruises. They were crushed that their names were not even mentioned. They wore those stupid name tags everywhere, even on their formal wear. I understand wearing the lapel pins but the nametags need to be taken from passengers like them.

I've never seen anything like this on a ship - I can't picture any crew member being at all impressed with an 18 cruise veteran. I'm wondering if either they had a "connection" with a crew member, or made their own badges, either way that never should have happened.

Even the famous Jack, often on Enchantment, doesn't (I think) wear a crew badge, although he often helps crew in certain situations and is a great ambassador and information source for RC when onboard.

[Debde]

I don't think that the loyalty program has created any monsters. Those people were "monsters" well before they began cruising and would be "monsters" wherever they were or whatever they were doing. Blaming the program for their rude or obnoxious behavior is looking at things the wrong way.

 

Oh no-absolutly-the program did not create the monsters, guess I worded that wrong:o-just gave these kind of people that were already this way a stage to perform on. Unfortunatly-that stage is a ship many of us have come to enjoy a vacation on.:( It's just sad some of these kind of cruisers can not use the knowledge in a good way and choose to look at others like peons and be so demanding to the crew.

 

Ronn452-I agree-to quote you "The majority of Diamond, Diamond +, and CC members are wonderful people with a wealth of cruise knowledge that will happily share with anyone who asks."

[stewpapa]

Since Oasis has a Dimond lounge would they still have this event? We are emerald. This would be a very nice treat for us.

 

They also had a Diamond exclusive event every day, I think. We are Emerald, so I don't have the details.

 

When do they normally hold this event? Looks like it would be fun to attend.

 

I think it was on the 2nd formal night at 7:00. We ate dinner at 5:30 so it was perfect for us.

 

 

For the record, we are not cruise snobs and don't think we deserve special treatment just because of the number of cruises we've been on. (We also saw a lady several times who was pointing out that she was in Suite and demanding special treatment every time we saw her. I just don't see how she enjoyed a moment of her cruise.) Those who have never been on a cruise before or who have saved for years to be on just this one, deserve special treatment too IMO, BUT... having said that, when it is offered, we take it and it is appreciated. It is really really nice jumping ahead of the lines on Embarkations!

[jamon]

Island Lady::: what did they do for this event when you were on the Radiance. What time of day and what type of event....ie special lunch, cocktails..Just curious, as we will be on her shortly. thanks

[grnyel05]

They don't. We are just off the Brilliance and weren't invited to this event.

Our invitations were for the feneral welcome back party and champagne breakfast.

 

I think the Champagne Breakfast on Brilliance is the top tier event. At least when I was on Brilliance in August the platinum/diamond/diamond plus event was a champagne breakfast. From my experience it seems like the event varies quite a bit from ship to ship.

[island lady]

Island Lady::: what did they do for this event when you were on the Radiance. What time of day and what type of event....ie special lunch, cocktails..Just curious, as we will be on her shortly. thanks

 

It was 7:45 to 8:15 ( to be available to both seatings as I am assuming) and they had trays of wine/sparkling wine/punch as you walked in. A buffet of little appetisers was set up just beyond that. I am guessing they have done away with walking around with these trays as there are so many that attend this event now.

 

The officers come out "on stage" to welcome you, and then proceed to recognition of crew members that have set mile stones in their service. Goes by very quickly.

 

It is more relaxed on the smaller ships...but still a good event to attend. Enjoy!! :)

 

Hope you have a great cruise!

[Mark_K]

Sad Note: We were sitting next to some very rude Diamond/Diamond Plus cruisers who actually said they were just there to criticize the new event. They were very condescending to the wait staff, making fun of them and saying they were there to report for Cruise Critic and would be critiquing the food and the whole event for CC. They took photos of the servers and told them the food wasn't passing their approval and telling them they would be putting their pics on CC. Very very rude. They left as soon as they got a few pics without actually experiencing the event. We enjoyed it and felt sorry for the very nice servers who smiled and politely offered them more food and drinks.

I haven't seen any pictures show up yet, maybe they were just kidding and you misinterpreted their intentions.

[Addictedtocruising]

This party is one night, am I correct?

 

Can you tell me which night on your sailings? I have MTD set at 7:45 each night, I guess I can change it on the day we get the invitation.

 

Also, what other events did they hold for Diamond members? I am new to Diamond on the next cruise!

 

Thanks

Donna

[Coralc]

Maybe they just don't like you:) We just got off Radiance yesterday, and we were invited:) Great party BTW. If we had known ahead of time what was being offered, we would have skipped the MDR and had more room to sample all of the food they served. It was also nice to see the captain recognize his staff (plaques and pix) that had achieved various service milestones in front of guests.

 

That would be very nice to see, so we could give those that work so hard for our vacation enjoyment, some recognition and applause. I haven't seen onboard staff recognition before...but I think it's a great idea! :D:):D

[Trekker954]

Also, what other events did they hold for Diamond members? I am new to Diamond on the next cruise!

 

Thanks

Donna

 

There are cocktails every night for Diamonds. If there is a diamond lounge there will also be hot hor dourves. If no diamond lounge, it will be called a diamond event and you will be offered, beer, wine, champagne and if you want hard liquor it will be 25% off. No hot food

[kimberley]

It was 7:45 to 8:15 ( to be available to both seatings as I am assuming) and they had trays of wine/sparkling wine/punch as you walked in. A buffet of little appetisers was set up just beyond that. I am guessing they have done away with walking around with these trays as there are so many that attend this event now.

 

The officers come out "on stage" to welcome you, and then proceed to recognition of crew members that have set mile stones in their service. Goes by very quickly.

 

It is more relaxed on the smaller ships...but still a good event to attend. Enjoy!! :)

 

Hope you have a great cruise!

Island Lady I wasn't very impressed with the one they held on the Jewel. It wasn't anything more than the welcome back party. I was really surprised because they exceeded my expectations on everything else.

[rosebud1g]

Will you still recieve a paper invitation in your stateroom for the Platnum

event? I thought I read somewhere it will be on your interactive TV.

I barely ever turn on the room TV, so I dont want to miss the event.

I am Platnum now sailing on Allure in August.

[goouchjac]

I am continually shocked at how negative people can be...I always try to remember that traveling is a privlege most people in the world can only hope to afford...everything I do and everywhere I go is so much more enjoyable if I approach it with a positive attitude.

 

I had a sad experience on one of my 2nd or 3rd RCI cruise. We were at a table for 10 and one couple, Ross and Myrna, were from the middle of the country, had never been to the ocean, and were celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary. The crusie was absolutely AWFUL! The crew had a terrible attitude, the ship was old and in poor repair, the food was terrible, there was a huge obnoxious group of charter passengers from my hometown:o. But Ross and Myrna were DELIGHTED with their vacation. Also at our our table for 10 was a well traveled couple who complained continuously. The rest of us at the table also were not pleased with the cruise, but we were polite enough not to ruin the wonderful time that the Ross and Myrna were having. The complaining couple made every dinner awkward. It was a good lesson to learn early in my travel life!

 

That said I feel that mass market crusing is one of the best travel values out there...sure things sometimes go wrong or aren't always top shelf, and occassionally, a cruise turns out to be a real clunker, but it might be the trip of a lifetime for someone else! After following the boards here, I rarely hear of anyone paying more than $100-$200 pp a night for their cruise (sometimes far less!). Then C & A then adds discounts and several free or reduced perks on top of that for it's members!! It always feels like a good deal to me!

 

Agree with you,,,we are fortunate to be able to take our yearly cruise:),,some people are just have to complain and b---- about nothing,,,they should keep their opinions to themselves and let us who enjoy our cruises keep enjoying..And by the way,,we would have changed our table, life is too short to deal with jerks:eek:.. Happy cruising...

[Familygoboston]

Agree with you,,,we are fortunate to be able to take our yearly cruise:),,some people are just have to complain and b---- about nothing,,,they should keep their opinions to themselves and let us who enjoy our cruises keep enjoying..And by the way,,we would have changed our table, life is too short to deal with jerks:eek:.. Happy cruising...

 

It never occurred to me then that we could change:o Actually the cruise turned out to be one of our best, because we met another couple, with whom we are still friendly today, and we were like hostages who bonded;) Every sailaway we met on the deck for sundowners, and just had a ball! They were at a table that was so much fun, you could hear them laughing everywhere in the MDR ...we should have asked to go there, LOL!

[island lady]

Island Lady I wasn't very impressed with the one they held on the Jewel. It wasn't anything more than the welcome back party. I was really surprised because they exceeded my expectations on everything else.

 

Well hello sweetie! We really loved having your company on the Jewel..as we enjoyed meeting you and your famaily and we miss you already. :)

 

Yes, we loved the Jewel...but I agree the welcome back party was "ho-hum" to say the least. The party they host on the "old grandma of the cruise line" ....the Monarch is the very best. It is a great party and they do know how to to throw a party on that little ship.!! :D

 

Did enoy our first time as official Diamonds on our Radiance cruise. Met some fantastic people in the Diamond event every evening. Most of whom we previously met on sail away as CC members at the get together I set up for that day. :D

[yellosno]

Those folks were complete jerks ! I have met some very nice diamond and diamond + people, but many like you have encountered. That is why I always request to be seated with non-diamond members in the MDR

[sunset7]

We were on the Liberty in February. The event was a luncheon on the last sea day. We had filet mignon that was really good. Many officers and staff were present and they sat down and ate with us. I thought

it was an exceptionally nice event. :)

[critterchick]

We are just off Liberty and the exclusive event was a luncheon on Deck 5 on the last sea day (was it only yesterday??). It was terrific - a four course luncheon with a seafood appetizer, potato truffle soup, a choice of filet or sea bass and dessert. Wine, champagne and mimosas flowed freely. I thought it was a great improvement over the usual cocktail party that really just duplicated the Welcome Back party.

[galavant3]

Since we turned Platinum (5 cruises ago) every ship we've been on has at a "top tier" event. I think twice it was a luncheon and three times a cocktail party. Last week on the Voyager it was held in Cleopatra's Needle and the menu posted by the OP was on every table. It was nice to know what appetizers were being passed. Servers also had trays of wine, champagne and cocktails. Live music and a few words by officers.

 

It was a very nice event.

 

I will mention that we did not get our invitation to the event until late the afternoon it was held. Fortunately, the event was posted in the Compass so we knew when it was. Normally we get the invitations much earlier in the week. I think it is usually the second formal night.

[Birdnutty]

We'll be going on a 4 day-er on the Majesty in a few weeks, and I was wondering if they do anything for Platinum and above. We're in port every day, and with only 4 days (3, really), there isn't whole lot of extra time.

 

Do they do anything special on the Majesty?

[taxatty]

We'll be going on a 4 day-er on the Majesty in a few weeks, and I was wondering if they do anything for Platinum and above. We're in port every day, and with only 4 days (3, really), there isn't whole lot of extra time.

 

Do they do anything special on the Majesty?

Only "special" things on the Majesty for Platinums are the special embarkation line, priority early disembarkation from the MDR (which is often disorganized and chaotic), and the C & A party.

 

Les

[LCGirl]

JUST got off explorer. We didn't have that. Just the regular event when the captain speaks. No snacks. just wine and a few yellow drinks. What happened to all the snacks we used to get ck wings quiche meatballs, veg and dips. The diamond lounge had about 15 people at most and wine. Get better perks on celebrity with only one cruise. Any kind of drink y want. Mind you we have 17 cruise credits. Still love royal but did a carnival in nov. and enjoyed it very much . No reason now to stay loyal to royal

[ck_razor]

Then a couple years later we ran into two couples who were wearing name tags like the crew members wear. We watched them as they stood in the middle of the promanade as if they were someone special. Since they were wearing name tags, passengers just assumed that they worked for the cruise line. These people were so rude and nasty that I'm sure they gave a lot of passengers a really bad impression of the company. We approached them and asked why they were wearing the badges since they weren't crew. They told us that they were frequent cruisers and that they had been given the tags as a special recognition. They really got full of themselves when they announced that they had 16 and 18 cruises. We just acted impressed and walked away. Later at the welcome back party we watched their expressions as we were recognized as having over 50 cruises. They were crushed that their names were not even mentioned. They wore those stupid name tags everywhere, even on their formal wear. I understand wearing the lapel pins but the nametags need to be taken from passengers like them.

 

Hey girl!!! Look at who I found over here! What cha doing? Anyway, not to interrupt in a bad way, but just had to tell you that I believe I have met this same couple on about 3 of my cruises! Can't help but laugh! See ya soon!